Hockey is a well known game played on ice with a hard rubber puck. Some of the attractive features that contribute to its popularity are its speed, skill and roughness. It should be noted that, for most of the time the puck stays on the playing surface. For most people it is a spectator sport. Other approaches have been used to broaden participation, at least in concept. Field hockey requires organized teams and a rather large flat playing field. Use of a ball in place of a puck suffices in this situation since there is time and space for the ball puck to come back down to the playing surface. For most of the time play is conducted in a two dimensional environment.
Attempts to play a hockey style game with a ball and roller skates have not been too popular since the ball bounces and is too free. A three dimensional hockey game can be very difficult. An appropriate site in most cases is not readily available. Also roller skates do not provide the maneuverability of ice skates. Some improvement has been made with the advent of in-line roller skates, but an acceptable site and expense are still major limitations.
A dry land hockey type game that would make use of readily accessible flat surfaces or areas could be attractive if the expense is limited. Small flat areas around homes and schools are available if the game can be configured properly. Some typical areas would be basement floors, hallways, driveways, parking lots and gym floors for example.
The use of hard pucks designed for high speeds is unacceptable since damage to the interior of a home or recreational building or injury to the casual players could result. A levitating or floating puck may provide a suitable solution for the dry land hockey approach. A table top game, known as "air hockey" has become fairly popular. The "puck" is a disc of material supported above a surface on a film of air. The air is supplied through holes in the supporting surface of a table. Consequently the game requires a specially constructed double shell table with goal ports at each end, and a motor and blower. It is a fairly expensive device. Again the attractive feature to this approach is speed. The model puck has to be very durable.
Air cushion technology is well known at this time, but its application to toys has been very limited. The full scale Bell and British hovercraft utilizes a plenum chamber air cushion concept stabilized by a flexible air bearing peripheral bag. A radio controlled toy of this machine has been marketed in recent years. Its performance is found to be lacking due to excessive weight.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,687,217 to Mueller discloses a gasoline powered model hovercraft vehicle that is an inverted shell type structure. Anti-rotation vanes are integral with the formed shell as well as a peripheral flange for added stability. The anti-rotation means will reduce torque rotation but will not eliminate it unless the anti-torque means is dynamic and capable of sensing unbalanced torque. As a toy the model is delicately constructed, has an unpredictable directional character, and is vehicular in shape and appearance. The use of a model aircraft engine presents further problems. If used roughly it could present a fire hazard. Also the propeller or fan is unprotected and would be unsafe for children.
The question is how does one produce a puck that slides freely on the above mentioned surfaces and is sufficiently durable to tolerate a modified hockey style environment and cause no damage to its environment. Air cushion technology could provide an answer but hovering performance, efficiency and structural durability are technical difficulties. Hovering performance has to do with power. Such a device would have to be electric powered, preferably by battery and is therefore a challenge in efficiency.
There are many forms of air cushion vehicles. Of interest here are the plenum chamber and the peripheral jet configurations. With respect to a self powered puck the plenum chamber configuration offers simplicity of structure and durability while it lacks in hovering performance and height. It would operate properly over only the smoothest of surfaces such as hardwood and plastic floors or troweled concrete. On the other hand the peripheral jet configuration enhances hovering performance and stability at the sacrifice of structural simplicity and possibly durability, but might afford the opportunity to traverse moderate piled rugs and rough concrete. Either approach requires a proper selection of material or some peripheral cushioning to render the toy non-damaging to a household environment and the players. Development of an appropriate configuration is therefore not simplistic and depends upon the particular support surface. Such a hovering puck could also function as a stand alone toy which would include configurations other than circular. As a stand alone toy, anti-rotation may be preferable.